大象传媒

This is the story of Jean Williams, nee Plummer which was added to the site by Christine Pearce of Neath Port Talbot Libraries with the permission of Mrs. Williams.

I was born in Chatham, Kent and when I was 6 years old my sister and I were taken to the station and evacuated to Wales. I remember the noise of children and mothers crying, except mine wasn't, she just put us on the train and went.

My next memory was of being taken to a school in Ynysmeudwy where Mrs. Brimfield took a group up to Rhydyfro where we were taken around and put in different homes, but no-one wanted me, whether it was because my face was wrapped in bandages and I was crying all the time I don't know, but we went back down to the village and Mrs. Brimfield was told there must be someone try again. Well up again to Rhydyfro and she saw Mrs. Vorden and said "I can't find anyone to take this little girl", and Mrs. Vorden said "Wait a minute " and she called to Bessie and said "Look Bessie this little girl hasn't got anywhere to sleep tonight can you give her a bed, and she took me in "just for the night".

She took me down to Gelligron to her parents the following day and Mamgu said "Come with me down the garden to see the chickens and the pig", well, I'd never seen animals like that before and was terrified and screamed the place down, so she went over to Ann James' shop and bought me a pencil and a comb.

My sister Marlene who was 4 years old went to a family in Pontardawe but I went to Rhydyfro school with a lot of the other evacuees that were in the village.

My father came down to see us when he was on leave and he brought with him our new baby brother but my mother didn't want anything to do with us.

On my 10th birthday "Auntie" had a telegram telling me that my father had been killed in Benghazi, he had named me as his next of kin! He was a gunner with the Royal Artillery and had been killed on the 28th November 1942.

After the war Auntie took me back to Sheffield, where my mother had now remarried and I cried all the way. Auntie was going to stay there for a week, and one night I was sat on the stairs and heard Auntie tell my mother thatI didn't seem to be settling and my mother told her to take me back to Wales with her. I wanted to go that night but Auntie said we would go in the morning. I didn't sleep that night in case she went without me and I didn't want to eat breakfast, I wanted to go. Once we were on the train I was happy and slept all the way. My sister went back but was put into care as well as my brother, but my mother had two girls and a boy by her new husband.

My life in Gelligron was wonderful, as we had now moved in with Auntie's parents mamgu and dadcu. I had learnt to speak Welsh and went to Saron chapel with the family. After the war Glyn one of mamgu and dadcu's sons came home and eventually we married, moved away to work, but came back to Rhydyfro to retire. and Glyn became a deacon in the chapel. He died in 1956.

About 10 years ago a letter was received in a house in Gelligron, aking if they knew of a Jean Plummer, they took the letter up to the Travellers and asked there and of course there were people there who knew me. The letter was from my brother and sister, wanting me to contact them . I was very afraid to do so, but Glyn and the family urged me to get in touch. They came down to Rhydyfro and we had a reunion. We have kept in touch at birthdays and Christmas, but my life and family are here.

Details of my father

John William Plummer, Gunner, Service No. 1532006. Died on 28/11/1942 aged 32. He was in the Royal Artillery.

His grave/memorial ref. is 2.D.25 and he is buried at Benghazi War Cemetery.

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